Pokhran
Encyclopedia
Pokhran is a city and a municipality
located in Jaisalmer district
in the Indian state
of Rajasthan
. It is a remote location in the Thar Desert
region and served as the test site for India's first underground nuclear weapon
detonation.
Surrounded by rocky, sandy and five salt ranges, Pokaran means “the place of five mirages”. It is en route both from Jodhpur
to Jaisalmer
and Bikaner to Jaisalmer.
, Pokhran had a population of 19,186. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Pokhran has an average literacy rate of 56%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 68%, and female literacy is 41%. In Pokhran, 19% of the population is under 6 years of age.
-Jodhpur
http://marupradesh.org/.
The famous, touristic city and fort of Jaisalmer
is a couple of hours away by road.
Pokharan is a pilgrimage site
in Jainism
. A Jain temple
dedicated to the 23rd Tirthankara, Parshva
, is situated here.
There is a Historical Sikh Gurdwara Present at Pokhran called Gurdwara Damdama Sahib. Guru Nanak Dev
visited this place during his travels.
and is under the control of Indian Army
. It is unclear when the site was built but it shot into the international limelight on 7 September, 1974 when the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
verbally authorized scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
(BARC) at Trombay
to detonate small and miniaturized nuclear device. Throughout its development, the device was formally called the "Peaceful Nuclear Explosive
(PNE)" by Indian Government, but it was usually referred to as the Operation Smiling Buddha
. The Indian government, however, declared that it was not going to make nuclear weapons even though it had acquired the capacity to do so. It claimed that the Pokhran explosion was an effort to harness atomic energy for peaceful purposes and to make India self-reliant in nuclear technology, but subsequently, India conducted five nuclear tests on 11 May and 13 May 1998
of India and the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) carried out the joint operation, known as Pokhran-II
. The AEC India detonated its four devices as part of the underground nuclear testing
on Pokhran Test Range. On May 11th, a thermonuclear device, under codename Operation Shakti was also tested but its yield produces by the device was significantly lower than expected. Since then, India has declared a moratorium on the testing.
. The team consisted of Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (Tamil Nadu),Dr. Raja Ramanna
(Karnataka) , P. K. Iyengar
(Kerala), Rajagopala Chidambaram
(Tamil Nadu), Nagapattinam Sambasiva Venkatesan (Andhra Pradesh) and Dr. Waman Dattatreya Patwardhan
(Maharashtra). The project employed no more than 75 scientists and engineers from 1967-1974. Keeping it small served to aid in the preservation of secrecy, according to the researcher Jeffrey Richelson.
(TBRL), Chandigarh
, based on the American design from World War II
. But the Indian design was simpler and less sophisticated than the American system. The detonation system to detonate implosion devices was developed at the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory
(HEMRL) of DRDO at Pune. The 6 kg of plutonium came from the CIRUS reactor at BARC, Trombay, Mumbai (then Bombay). The neutron initiator was a polonium-beryllium type
(again like those used in early U.S. bombs of the Fat Man type) code-named "Flower." The complete core was assembled in Trombay before transportation to the test site.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
located in Jaisalmer district
Jaisalmer district
Jaisalmer District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The city of Jaisalmer is the administrative headquarters of the district.As of 2011 it is the least populous district of Rajasthan .-Geography:...
in the Indian state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. It is a remote location in the Thar Desert
Thar Desert
The Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
region and served as the test site for India's first underground nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
detonation.
Geography
Pokhran http://marupradesh.org/ located at 26.92°N 71.92°E. It has an average elevation of 233 metres (764 feet).Surrounded by rocky, sandy and five salt ranges, Pokaran means “the place of five mirages”. It is en route both from Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
to Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
and Bikaner to Jaisalmer.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Pokhran had a population of 19,186. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Pokhran has an average literacy rate of 56%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 68%, and female literacy is 41%. In Pokhran, 19% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Rulers
- Tomar rulers - King Ajmal Tomar was descendant of Anagpal Tomar of Delhi. His son was Baba RamdevjiBaba RamdevjiBaba Ramdevji is a folk–deity of Rajasthan in India. He was a saint of the fourteenth century who devoted his life for the upliftment of downtrodden and poor people of the society, which were marginalized by Invaders. A temple was built around Ramdevji's final resting place by Maharaja Ganga...
- Seat of Chief of the Champawats, a sub-clan of RathoreRathoreThe Rathore is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan same caste as Lohana. Their Kuldevi is Nagnechiya Mata and "Karani Mata". Rathores are originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Rathores are historically considered the samurais of India...
s of the state of MarwarMarwarMarwar is a region of southwestern Rajasthan state in western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. In Rajasthani dialect "wad" means a particular area. The word Marwar is derived from Sanskrit word 'Maruwat'. English translation of the word is 'The region of desert'., The Imperial Gazetteer...
-Jodhpur-marupradesh.org/.
Landmarks
Fort Pokaran, the 14th century citadel also known as “Balagarh”, stands amidst the Thar Desert. This monument is the premier fort of the chief of the Champawats, the clan of Rathores of the state of MarwarMarwar
Marwar is a region of southwestern Rajasthan state in western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. In Rajasthani dialect "wad" means a particular area. The word Marwar is derived from Sanskrit word 'Maruwat'. English translation of the word is 'The region of desert'., The Imperial Gazetteer...
-Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
http://marupradesh.org/.
The famous, touristic city and fort of Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
is a couple of hours away by road.
Pokharan is a pilgrimage site
Tirtha
In Jainism, a tīrtha |ford]], a shallow part of a body of water that may be easily crossed") is used to refer both to pilgrimage sites as well as to the four sections of the sangha...
in Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
. A Jain temple
Derasar
A derasar is a temple for followers of Jainism, except for non-murtipujak Svetambaras. Derasar is a word used in Gujarat, Kutch and parts of Rajasthan, in other parts of India, the term Jain Mandir is used for all the Jain temples. Jain idols of Tirthankaras are worshipped there...
dedicated to the 23rd Tirthankara, Parshva
Parshva
Pārśva or Paras was the twenty-third Tirthankara "Ford-Maker" in Jainism . He is the earliest Jain leader generally accepted as a historical figure. Pārśva was a nobleman belonging to the Kshatriya varna....
, is situated here.
There is a Historical Sikh Gurdwara Present at Pokhran called Gurdwara Damdama Sahib. Guru Nanak Dev
Guru Nanak Dev
Guru Nanak was the founder of the religion of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. The Sikhs believe that all subsequent Gurus possessed Guru Nanak’s divinity and religious authority, and were named "Nanak" in the line of succession.-Early life:Guru Nanak was born on 15 April 1469, now...
visited this place during his travels.
Pokhran Test Range
Pokhran is an apex research and testing site of the Indian nuclear programme. The site was built by Indian Army Corps of EngineersIndian Army Corps of Engineers
The Indian Army Corps of Engineers has a long and illustrious history dating back to the mid-18th century. The earliest existing subunit of the Corps dates back to 1777 while the Corps officially recognises its birth as 1780 when the senior most group of the Corps, the Madras Sappers were...
and is under the control of Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
. It is unclear when the site was built but it shot into the international limelight on 7 September, 1974 when the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
verbally authorized scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is India's primary nuclear research facility based in Mumbai. It has a number of nuclear reactors, all of which are used for India's nuclear power and research programme.- History :...
(BARC) at Trombay
Trombay
Trombay is a northeastern suburb in Mumbai, India, with Mankhurd as the closest railway station on the Harbour Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway.-History:...
to detonate small and miniaturized nuclear device. Throughout its development, the device was formally called the "Peaceful Nuclear Explosive
Peaceful nuclear explosions
Peaceful nuclear explosions are nuclear explosions conducted for non-military purposes, such as activities related to economic development including the creation of canals...
(PNE)" by Indian Government, but it was usually referred to as the Operation Smiling Buddha
Smiling Buddha
The Smiling Buddha, formally designated as Pokhran-I, was the codename given to Republic of India's first nuclear test explosion that took place at the long-constructed Indian Army base, Pokhran Test Range at Pokhran municipality, Rajasthan state on 18 May 1974 at 8:05 a.m....
. The Indian government, however, declared that it was not going to make nuclear weapons even though it had acquired the capacity to do so. It claimed that the Pokhran explosion was an effort to harness atomic energy for peaceful purposes and to make India self-reliant in nuclear technology, but subsequently, India conducted five nuclear tests on 11 May and 13 May 1998
Nuclear tests
On May 11th of 1998, 24 years after the first operation, the Atomic Energy CommissionAtomic Energy Commission of India
The Atomic Energy Commission is a governing body functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy , Government of India. The DAE is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister.- History :...
of India and the Defence Research and Development Organisation
Defence Research and Development Organisation
The Defence Research and Development Organisation is a agency of the Republic of India, responsible for the development of technology for use by the military, headquartered in New Delhi, India...
(DRDO) carried out the joint operation, known as Pokhran-II
Pokhran-II
Pokharan-II refers to test explosions of five nuclear devices, three on 11 May and two on 13 May 1998, conducted by India at the Pokhran test range. These nuclear tests resulted in a variety of sanctions against India by a number of major states....
. The AEC India detonated its four devices as part of the underground nuclear testing
Underground nuclear testing
Underground nuclear testing refers to test detonations of nuclear weapons that are performed underground. When the device being tested is buried at sufficient depth, the explosion may be contained, with no release of radioactive materials to the atmosphere....
on Pokhran Test Range. On May 11th, a thermonuclear device, under codename Operation Shakti was also tested but its yield produces by the device was significantly lower than expected. Since then, India has declared a moratorium on the testing.
Team of Scientists and Engineers
The team was Headed by Rajagopala ChidambaramRajagopala Chidambaram
Rajagopala Chidambaram is an Indian nuclear scientist and metallurgist. He is the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India and former Director of India's primary nuclear research facility, BARC. Dr...
. The team consisted of Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (Tamil Nadu),Dr. Raja Ramanna
Raja Ramanna
Raja Ramanna , D.Phil., was an Indian nuclear scientist and a prominent physicist, is best known for his leadership directing the research integral for the development of Indian nuclear programme in its early stages. Having started and joined the nuclear programme in 1964, Ramanna worked under...
(Karnataka) , P. K. Iyengar
P. K. Iyengar
Dr. P. K. Iyengar is an eminent Indian nuclear scientist and a noted nuclear physicist who has known to be played a central role in India's cold fission tests. He was former head of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission of India...
(Kerala), Rajagopala Chidambaram
Rajagopala Chidambaram
Rajagopala Chidambaram is an Indian nuclear scientist and metallurgist. He is the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India and former Director of India's primary nuclear research facility, BARC. Dr...
(Tamil Nadu), Nagapattinam Sambasiva Venkatesan (Andhra Pradesh) and Dr. Waman Dattatreya Patwardhan
Waman Dattatreya Patwardhan
Waman Dattatreya Patwardhan was an Indian nuclear chemist, defence scientist and an expert in the science of Explosives engineering. He was the founder director of the Explosives Research and Development Laboratory of India...
(Maharashtra). The project employed no more than 75 scientists and engineers from 1967-1974. Keeping it small served to aid in the preservation of secrecy, according to the researcher Jeffrey Richelson.
Atomic Devices
The device used a high explosive implosion system, developed at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)'s Terminal Ballistics Research LaboratoryTerminal Ballistics Research Laboratory
Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory is a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation . Located in Chandigarh, the laboratory has become one of the major DRDO labs in the field of armament studies. TBRL is organized under the Armaments Directorate of DRDO. The present...
(TBRL), Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
, based on the American design from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. But the Indian design was simpler and less sophisticated than the American system. The detonation system to detonate implosion devices was developed at the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory
High Energy Materials Research Laboratory
High Energy Materials Research Laboratory is a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation . Located in Pune, its main function is the research and development of technologies and products in the area of High Energy Materials and Explosive materials. HEMRL is organized under...
(HEMRL) of DRDO at Pune. The 6 kg of plutonium came from the CIRUS reactor at BARC, Trombay, Mumbai (then Bombay). The neutron initiator was a polonium-beryllium type
Urchin (detonator)
A modulated neutron initiator is a neutron source capable of producing a burst of neutrons on activation. It is a crucial part of some nuclear weapons, as its role is to "kick-start" the chain reaction at the optimal moment when the configuration is prompt critical. It is also known as an internal...
(again like those used in early U.S. bombs of the Fat Man type) code-named "Flower." The complete core was assembled in Trombay before transportation to the test site.